Shoaib Malik, a Pakistani cricketer, has commented on the controversy surrounding the team’s skipper Babar Azam, suggesting that he voluntarily step down as captain. Speaking on the show “Score”, Malik stated that Babar Azam is an excellent batter, but the team shouldn’t judge his leadership qualities and batting ability on the same scale.
Malik’s remarks came amid mixed opinions regarding Babar’s leadership qualities, with some people expecting immediate results from him. The former skipper explained that in the past, one player would win matches with individual performances, but now, success requires four to five performing players in the team.
Malik stated that if he were in Babar’s position, he would distance himself from the leadership role and concentrate on his batting. He urged those close to Babar to advise him to quit captaincy voluntarily, suggesting that doing so would help him make more international records, with limited pressure on his batting.
The cricketer also commented that Babar’s captaincy still required improvement and would take time to mature. Last month, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named Shadab Khan as the stand-in captain for the three-match T20 series against Afghanistan, giving rest to senior players, including Babar Azam.
There have been speculations that Babar might lose captaincy in one format, and the board is testing players for the leadership role. However, the PCB’s Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi cleared the air, announcing that Babar would continue as captain and urged people to support him. Sethi also mentioned that Babar’s captaincy future would be decided by the selections committee and Mickey Arthur, the new national team director. The PCB head stated that they retained Babar as captain since he is their main player, and his captaincy is often discussed in the media, which they have nothing to do with.
